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1954 Map of St Helens

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of St Helens
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

St Helens sits at a strategic bend in the Columbia River, serving as a hub where industrial rail lines meet the complex waterways of the Pacific Northwest. This 1954 survey details the dense network of small communities and rural infrastructure defining mid-century Columbia County, from the riverfront activity at Columbia City to the inland settlements of Yankton and Scappoose. The landscape is etched with the paths of the Spokane Portland and Seattle Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway, which facilitated the movement of goods through the valley.

Evidence of local social life is found in the distribution of educational and community landmarks, such as Bachelor Flat School and the Grange Hall near Chapman. Geologic and topographic features like Shiloh Basin and the elevations around Meissner Lookout contrast with the low-lying islands of the Columbia, including Bachelor Island and Wallace Island. The map also captures several educational sites no longer in use at the time of the survey, notably the Dowd School and Ferndale School.